The use of wireless communication devices to send and receive information has become increasingly prominent. A communication network that provides a communication service to a wireless communication device typically tracks the location and other information about the device as it travels. However, when a connection between the wireless communication device and the communication network is severed, such as when the device is powered off or when a radio antenna of the device loses contact with a serving wireless access node, the location of the device and other device status information is no longer available to the communication network.
Third-party applications, users of other communication devices, and other communication systems may request to locate a wireless communication device for various reasons. Typically, in response to a location request for a wireless communication device, a communication network will query a home location register (HLR) to determine if the wireless communication device is registered. If the wireless communication device is not registered with the HLR, the communication network determines that the device is not powered on or otherwise not in communication with the communication network, and the requestor attempting to locate the device is informed that the device is not registered. In some cases, the communication network may continue to periodically query the HLR to determine whether the device has registered, which can inefficiently waste HLR resources and burden the SS7 network.